Developmental Funds continue to represent an important and critical institutional resource to support newly recruited faculty without prior peer-reviewed support into the 19 Basic Science, Clinical and Populationbased Research Programs of MDACC, to develop new shared resources in response to the research needs of peer-reviewed investigators, and to support multidisciplinary research programs. A significant increase in Developmental Funds is requested in this competitive renewal based on the institution's careful stewardship and successful return on the funds invested in newly recruited faculty during the current grant period, the plans for the Monoclonal Antibody Facility, Molecular Cytogenetics Facility, Immune Monitoring Core Laboratory, and the pilot projects of the Multidisciplinary Research Programs. Processes are in place within the institution to solicit proposals for support from CCSG Developmental Funds and to review them for scientific merit and programmatic relevance. The Developmental Funds requested will be leveraged with institutional resources to insure the scientific growth and excellence of MDACC's research programs, including the continued recruitment of outstanding new junior faculty, the ability to provide the necessary shared resource infrastructure to support research initiatives, and the flexibility to capitalize on new and innovative research leads. The Developmental Funds will provide the Director of the Cancer Center with a stable source of support for a variety of activities critical to maintaining the research strength and interactive environment characteristic of the MDACC.